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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24604573">Acorn and Pine</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/NaomiJameston/pseuds/NaomiJameston'>NaomiJameston</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cottage prawn, F/M, SUPER FLUFFY FLUFF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 08:21:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,270</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24604573</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/NaomiJameston/pseuds/NaomiJameston</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Have Severus and Hermione found the perfect home? Someone certainly thinks so.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hermione Granger/Severus Snape</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>108</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Hot Buttered Cottage Prawn</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Acorn and Pine</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Q_Drew/gifts">Q_Drew</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Qdrew challenged me to write a happy drabble. Well, I failed on the drabble part, but perhaps I succeeded at the happy?</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“I’m not saying I don’t trust you,” Hermione said as the car turned onto yet another tiny road in the middle of a forest. Beside her, Severus smirked, recognizing the teasing tone, but their real estate agent in the front seat did not.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I promise, Mrs. Snape, it’s completely safe. I haven’t seen the property myself yet, but my associate assures me it’s beautiful.” He pointed to a bent and twisted sign sticking out forlornly from the base of a mossy stone wall. “We’re here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pulled into an overgrown drive barely wide enough for the car; Hermione casually clutched the armrest as the car shuddered and jolted, bouncing in and out of water-carved ruts. The drive was surprisingly long and it twisted around trees and small hills as though it wasn’t meant for cars. Hermione could easily imagine it had once been a footpath or had only been used for wagons, but-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah,” Severus said with interest as the car made another sharp turn. Hermione twisted to peek through the windshield, her seat belt locking as the car bounced into a rut again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a cabin. Small, dark, and it seemed to be nearly collapsing under the weight of its roof. Most of the windows were broken and the door swung on its hinges in the wind. Two low doors jutted out from the side of the house and were held closed with a padlock. A porch circled the house, most of its spines missing, but the roof was strong above it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The tall trees seemed to bend and whisper together as they stepped from the car. Squirrels chittered above them, jumping from branch to branch and scolding them for their disturbance. Something ran through the grass and Hermione saw the end of a snake disappear on the other side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But something spoke to her in those whispers. Something called to her. A stillness under the ripples they’d caused by their arrival. It soothed some part of her soul she hadn’t realized was restless. She caught Severus’ eye as he glanced around and they shared a conspirator’s nod. Something in his face relaxed and Severus took a deep, cleansing breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their real estate agent felt no such thing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This isn’t right,” he said, stabbing furiously at his mobile phone. “I apologize, Mr. and Mrs. Snape. I don’t know what my associate was thinking. He promised me a place with potential, not… this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, there may be potential, Mr. Andrews,” Severus replied. He gestured to the locked doors. “Is that a cellar?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, my associate said there was a large cellar under the main property. The house supposedly-” he sneered, “has four bedrooms, an open concept main floor, and-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s give it a chance,” Hermione said. “You guys check out the cellar; I want to look around the outside first.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure, ma’am? It doesn’t seem safe out here,” he said with a dubious look. Hermione laughed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m quite capable of protecting myself from squirrels, I assure you.” She waved them off and Severus led the way to the cellar. He scoffed at the agent’s concerns about safety- “the cellar is probably the strongest bit of the property; they build them to last”- and distracted him so that he could flick a finger at the padlock. It fell under his hands with a quiet clink and the door swung open easily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione watched them go into the cellar, Andrews chatting nervously about structural integrity and spiders. She shook her head fondly. They’d been looking for a house for over six months now and she was losing hope. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She leaned against the corner of an outbuilding.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh,” she said, noticing the inside. “A wagon. Guess I was right.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She slid down the wall to sit on the ground and rested her head on the wall with a sigh. She was so tired. The war had ended years ago and she’d done her time rebuilding her world, but it never ended. Meeting upon meeting, going to war over every bill she introduced to the Wizengamot… She was so tired of all of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The wind blew gently, teasing her hair and rustling the leaves and pine needles above her. It was almost autumn. Children would be getting ready to go to Hogwarts soon. She smiled, remembering how it felt to be an excited student. She hadn’t felt like that in a long time. Yes, every day with Severus was an adventure, but they saw each other so rarely now. Her career and his burgeoning potions business kept them apart most of the time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But things were turning around, she thought. Her bills were being more accepted- well, at least there were fewer arguments against them and she often left the office before seven pm. And Severus had gotten that wonderful contract from Spain. He’d finished all of the traveling he’d had to do for the negotiating. Now all he had to do was make the potions. He had a lab at his office, of course, but… She chuckled, remembering how he’d argued in favor of having a smaller lab at home. She’d laughed at him, made a comment about bringing his work home with him, but he’d pointed out the reams of paper she was reading over. She’d yielded the point.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They’d started looking for houses the next day. They’d seen some truly delightful places, but something had always ended up mucking things up. Three houses they’d put offers on had been snatched by someone else at the last minute. Two others had had plumbing issues- she grimaced at the remembered smell. And of course few of them had had a large enough space for Severus’ lab. Mr. Andrews was despairing of them. He’d bragged about having never lost a client and finding houses for every single one of them within a few months. She huffed. She and Severus were too particular, that was all. They’d find a place eventually, but neither of them would be truly happy. They’d have to compromise if they wanted to stay in Muggle England, which they did. The pressure was too high in the Wizarding world and they needed a place to escape each night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sighed gustily. If only she could see into the future. True, she didn’t believe in Divination, but-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something struck her gently in her lap. She slapped at it, catching something hard in her hand, and her eyes flew open.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The overgrown yard was nearly the same, but a garden had been planted along the edge of a repaired porch. The spines had been replaced and two rocking chairs rocked themselves gently in a cool wind. Sunlight glinted along bright windows and on a hanging wind chime. The cabin was the same deep wood but it had all been repaired. Smoke rose in cheerful puffs from a shiny chimney pipe and she could smell something sweet carried on the wind. Cherry pie, maybe? Her mother had a wonderful recipe for it and she’d been dying to find the time to try it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Children laughed and she surged to her feet. Two children played around the corner- a long raven-haired girl, all elbows and knees, chased a toddling brunet boy, his baby fat making him clumsy. They laughed uproariously when she caught him and lifted him high to bounce him on her hip. She carried him awkwardly but with much love, and he pressed sloppy wet kisses against her cheek.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eww, Hugo!” she complained, but her voice was full of warmth and happiness. A voice carried over the wind and the children turned as one as a woman stepped out onto the porch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on, guys,” Hermione called. “Dinner’s ready.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Making my famous meatloaf; Rose’s favorite,” Severus said as he leaned out the doorway over her shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh yay,” Rose said as she jiggled her brother on her hip. “It’s Grandma Eileen’s meatloaf, Hugo, and Grandma Jean’s cherry pie!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pie!” the toddler shouted, throwing his hands up. Hermione watched them walk into the house, then noticed that she’d lost sight of the other Hermione. The future Hermione?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello there,” her doppleganger said. Present Hermione jumped nearly out of her pants as Future Hermione walked around the corner. Future Hermione laughed, tucking her hands into her pockets. “Oh, I’ve been looking forward to this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What… what exactly </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> this?” Present Hermione asked. Future Hermione smiled and gestured up to the trees.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you see?” she asked. Present Hermione followed her gaze, confused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pine trees?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, exactly. Anything other than pine trees?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Present Hermione looked around again, straining to see anything. She shook her head. “No, I don’t see anything but pine trees.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s right,” Future Hermione said with a sharp nod. “What do you know about acorns?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Present Hermione blinked. “I… what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Acorns, Hermione. What do you know about them?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They… come from oak trees?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Future Hermione laughed. “Well, yes. And there are no oak trees on this property. I’ve looked many, many times. I’ve worn out multiple pairs of boots wandering all over this mountain. There isn’t a single oak tree anywhere nearby. Nothing that can produce this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Future Hermione pulled her hand out of her pocket to reveal an acorn. Plain and unassuming, it had been stuck through with a metal ring and hung on a blue ribbon. Present Hermione lifted an eyebrow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t understand.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Future Hermione smiled. “Open your hand, Hermione.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She lifted her hand in surprise, feeling a bit foolish that she’d completely forgotten about the thing that had hit her earlier. She opened her fingers slowly, not daring to take a breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>An acorn sat in her palm. A plain, unassuming acorn with a flat top just begging for a metal ring and a blue ribbon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked up to show the acorn to her future self, but she was gone. The children were gone, too, and the beautiful house was once again a barely-standing shack. Andrews and Severus were still in the cellar but she could hear them talking. She clutched the acorn in her hand and dashed to the car to dig through her purse. She touched the wand she’d stashed there and whispered “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Accio</span>
  </em>
  <span> Encyclopaedia of Magickal Symbology.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A book slapped into her hand and she flipped through it quickly, casting surreptitious glances toward the cellar. Thankfully the symbols were listed alphabetically so it only took a moment for her to find what she was looking for. She read the short entry several times, a grin breaking across her face. She heard the men coming up the cellar stairs and shoved the book back into her bag, but she couldn’t wipe the grin away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you all right, Mrs. Snape?” Andrews called. Severus chuckled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She likely got bored waiting for us and was sneaking a quick read,” he said. Hermione shook her finger at him but still couldn’t wipe the smile. Severus wound his arms around her. “You like the place, then?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I really, really do, Severus,” she whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was hoping you would. The cellar is perfect. Just absolutely the most perfect space I could imagine. What did you think of the rest?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh… I got distracted, but I think it has potential,” she said with a sly grin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wonderful!” Andrews exclaimed behind them. He gestured to his mobile phone. “I’ll just call up my associate and see what we can work up for a price, then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The couple watched him stroll away, his steps much happier than they had been originally. Hermione sighed happily and nuzzled into Severus’ chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you all right?” he asked, tipping her face up to look at him. “I wouldn’t have expected you to go for a place so… words escape me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded. “I wouldn’t, but… Well, what do you know about acorns?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He blinked. “They grow on oak trees?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She laughed. “I said the same thing, and we’re both right, but no. Acorns, my love, were once used as a way to experience prophetic knowledge.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Prophecy?” he groaned. “We’ve had quite enough of that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, but this particular prophecy is one I have a vested interest in seeing come true, especially since acorns also symbolize fertility.” She presented the acorn with a flourish. “I’ve seen our future, Severus, and it’s beautiful.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And that, my loves, is why we have an acorn hanging by the front door,” Hermione finished with a quiet smile. The six children sitting before her that had listened with riveted attention to her story turned as one to look at the acorn with its metal ring and faded blue ribbon hanging by an old nail next to the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione rested her head on the nearest child, her youngest great-grandchild Eileen Snape was five now and claimed to be too old for such stories, but her cousins and siblings always asked for the same story. She’d been telling it for almost one hundred years now, but it never failed to make her smile. Nor did the cherry pie and meatloaf she and Severus served as often as possible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come, darlings. It’s time for dinner,” she said. The crowd of children broke and ran to the kitchen with shouts of glee. She watched them go, then gazed across the entire room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her children were there, and their children, and their children. Four generations piled together under her roof, all of them happy and healthy. All of them there thanks to that acorn in a pine forest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She bowed her head in thanks to the acorn before standing to slide her arm around the still slim waist of her husband, resting her head where it had so often before.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The end</span>
</p>
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